Blog Masonry

what to do in May

hey there, im a young kiwi male who is going to be backpacking in france for a few weeks at the begining of May this year.  I am able to speak french at an intermediate level and i was wondering what cities are fun and would be good to go to at this particular time of year?

traveling in Provene

I will be traveling from Paris to Provence by train, planning to rent a car once there.  I will need to return the car.  Is Provence that big that it won't be possibe to back track to return the car within the two days I plan on being in Provence, and then take the train to Italy?

Also, is Nice the best place to get a train while in that area, on to Italy?

Any help appreciated.

Hiking vacation in Alsace

Travelers to any destination in Europe can expect to spend a great deal of time walking. This is a good thing, since there’s so much wonderful food to enjoy! Touring the French countryside on foot gives you an especially up-close view of life in France, and […]

Help! Nervous to go to Paris …

Bonjour!

I will be visiting Paris for 6 days in March. The trip is a present for me and my husband. I am American and have never before been outside the U.S.A.  I am nervous becase of this: I am a very overweight woman, even American standards. By Parisian standards … well, let's just say that I expect to stand out-not in a good way.  I do speak some French, which I have been practicing, and I do dress well. 

But still, I've been having these nightmares in which these skinny Parisiennes, clad in the latest haute couture fashions eye me disdainfully and snooty waiters refuse to serve me.  I know I'm probably just being paranoid about the stereotype of Parisian rudeness, but really, what am I letting myself in for?

Marion Cotillard

[img_assist|nid=22101|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=220|height=147]Career

Cotillard began acting during her childhood, appearing on stage in one of her father's plays. Her career as a film actress began in the mid-1990s. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s when she was cast in the Luc Besson production Taxi (1998) as Lili Bertineau, a role that she reprised in two sequels. She then earned very good reviews and the attention of cinephiles via her portrayal of twins who exchange their lives after one of them dies in Les Jolies Choses.

Southern France Extravaganzas

So i'm off to the city of Sete (still not quite sure how to pronounce…sounds like "set" maybe?).  Was wondering if anyone knew of fun activities to do around southern France (asside from sight seeing).  I was thinking of hiking, renting bikes…and that's all i can think of…any suggestions?

Why Everyone Should Bike in Burgundy

As a cycling tour guide for Duvine Adventures in Tuscany I was not very happy about having to leave my beloved Italy this September to spend a week at our European headquarters in Beaune in the heart of Burgundy.  Coming from Italy I expected to find only cold weather and colder people in France.  The all-night train ride from Florence did nothing to put me in a better mood. 

A Paris "must see" : the "Pere Lachaise "

if you'll visit Paris, you need to visit the "Pere Lachaise" (Father Lachaise).
Father Lachaise is a cemetary but not a sad and squalid place.
Father Lachaise is a "must see" in Paris and, above all, a beautiful undulating and green park with an extraordinary sculpture collection.

Honeymoon in Paris